Well that s an interesting question that I ve wondered about myself. You know, I think it s mainly a face thing. It s as if riding a bicycle is a loss of face. I mean as soon as you buy a car people assume that you re doing well in life. We don t really need the car, and it doesn t really improve our actual quality of life, but it s nice to show others you have a car. There s also this sense of freedom you get when you drive a car. I don t know how to exactly explain it but it s the kind of feeling that you are master of your motion instead of some driver.
67. Why do people like travelling so much in your home country?
That s a good question. Sometimes I wonder why people just don t try to explore the places around them instead of trying to find paradise so far away. I think that people are just looking for an escape from their lives for a while and I think it s another status thing to say that you ve been to all these exciting places. That s why I think you find a lot of people taking so many pictures but not really stopping to really feel the places they are going to. I think there are some people who like it because they honestly enjoy learning and experiencing life in a different way but I think these people are a minority.
68. Do children know the difference between right and wrong?
Well, I don t know much about this issue because I m too young to be a parent and I m no longer a child. But my guess is that they don t really. I mean, I love children a lot but I think it takes a number of years before you can really learn to know the real reason why something is right or wrong and it takes a long time for people to really sympathize with others in a sincere way. One example of this is the kid that teases others. He doesn t really know it s wrong but he hears that his parents and teacher says it s wrong so he doesn t do it. Another reason he stops doing it is because he s afraid he might get teased. But does he really know it s wrong? I doubt it because he doesn t have the ability to know how to think and realize the hurt another person feels
69. Why is some art popular and other art not?
Well, let me think about this issue. Its hard for me to say because I m not an expert on art, but I think that the popularity of art depends on the deeper feeling a painting or work of art seems to generate. I mean if you look at art and feel nothing from it then it can t get very far. I think also, to be frank, that a lot of art is just fashion and also based on the fame or name of the artist. I mean most people don t really know the difference between one art or another so they rely on the name. Its like name-brand clothing, I guess you could say.
70. Why do so many people like fast food in China?
You know I can t figure out that myself. I mean it s not that convenient. Sometimes at lunch you could be waiting to get to the front ofthe line for quite some time. It s not peaceful, it s noisy. The food is overpriced and not very nutritious4. I think the real reason is that the advertising and promotion5 is good and it has this kind of happy atmosphere that draws people in. People also like the idea of just getting some privacy to chat freely and not having to be controlled by some waiter or waitress. I also think a lot of people like to use their fingers to eat to just for a change.
Explaining situations
71.What is the population control situation like in China today?
It s better than before. At least things are pretty much under control, but there are still a lot of people in China. I think everyone accepts the fact that they can only have one child. Some of my friends are even thinking of not having any children at all. Most of them, though, are delaying having children, because they re focusing more on their careers right now.
72. What is the situation in the rural areas in China?
I think it s improving because more facilities are being built but there are some old problems that still persist. They have no pension and therefore must rely on their families to support them. If they have a son, by tradition, he must take care of his parents. But, if it s a daughter, she leaves to join her husband s family, and there is no one left to provide for the parents in their old age. It s really a terrible situation for farmers, because they work so hard all their lives, and if they don t have a son, they have no security when they get old.
73. What would you say women s conditions in China are like?
Well there s still some discrimination but I think it s much better now than any time in history. I ve heard of female students who have recently graduated from university having a hard time finding employment. Some employers even tell them they re just looking to hire males. Also, once a woman is working in a company, there s only so high she can move before she reaches what they call a "glass ceiling" , meaning she can t move to higher management positions. But I think, in many other companies, women have almost equal opportunity with men. In the countryside, however, women are sometimes treated almost like property. The less educated the woman is, the more likely she won t be treated well.
74. How aware do you think people are nowadays about environmental issues?
I think that many people are thinking about it, especially people who have to suffer from it on a day-to-day basis. I think that a lot of people still need to think about the issue further and realize that the problem is not some one else s to solve but that the ultimate responsibility lies with everyone. I also think that people are beginning to see that economic development cannot be so shortsighted, and that we cannot just keep treating our resources as if there were no end in sight to the amount we can use at any given moment in time.
75. What is the population control situation like in China today?
It depends which place. I think it s having some positive effects in the city. In the country it s more difficult to monitor so it s much stricter than in the countryside. There is a large financial penalty for couples that have more than one child. It s also probably easier for the government to monitor how many children are born into each family in the city than in the countryside, just because everyone lives so much closer together.
76. What s the housing situation / condition like in your city?
Well, the housing condition in my city has been improved a lot in recent years. But there are still many people who live in narrow, shabby houses. Besides, instead of getting free houses from the government as part of their benefits, people have to buy houses from real estate companies, and many of them cannot afford the high cost of an apartment.
77. What do you regard as the most significant events in your country s recent history?
I think it was the third conference of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which determined6 the policy of Reforming and Opening up. Because of the conference, our standard of living has improved dramatically. I think that it s a day that marked a shift to looking at the outside as a potential source of knowledge and wealth for us, and it wasn t long before the message caught on that it was ok to try and prosper7.
78. What is the most important skill these days to learn?
In my opinion it s the skill of proper marketing8. I know many people might say that it s computers or English, but I think that if you know some good ways to market yourself, and the things you do, you can go very far in life. For example, if you can convince a company human resource director that you are a good person for a job they will often choose you over a more qualified9 applicant10, because you know how to promote yourself. I also think that marketing is something that every firm must do if it hopes to survive, so if you are good at it you can do very well.
79. What is the biggest problem in the tourism industry today?
The big problem in the tourism industry is the lack of proper souvenirs in my view. When you go to many tourist sites you see some of the same kind of stuff you can find anywhere. Most tourists just walk past it. The stuff that is sold all comes from these factories that just mass produce this junk and basically it has a shiny exterior11 but is of very shabby quality. I have seen several guidebooks describing the souvenirs in China as junk. That makes me feel very angry. I have seen very good gift shops that sell quality things, but I think these kinds of shops are in the minority.
